(4) Sick Day
by Writer25
Summary: Not only is Fred sick, but his leg is broken and he's home all alone. Joe and Sam are too busy to keep him company so Fina comes over to take care of him instead. For someone who's just a friend the two are awfully getting close to each other. OneShot takes place during Vaca in Pompeii


After what felt like hours Fred finally stopped coughing and blew his nose into a tissue. He threw it into the pile with all the others. Today was definitely not his day. Not only did he have a broken leg, but he had also caught that nasty cold that was going around. Normally his mom would be hovering by his bed side feeding him soup and taking his temperature, but she had been called to the hospital. Something about being short staffed or whatever. And with Mike and his dad both away at work, Fred had the house all to himself.

And he was bored. Really bored. He took out his phone and starting flipping through the camera pictures. Him flexing in the mirror. Some with him wearing his various team uniforms. A bunch of him, Sam, and Joe hanging out...

"Oh, geez," Fred sighed sadly.

The last few pictures were of Jodie, looking beautiful as always. He took the pictures during the first couple of weeks of their relationship. Back then he couldn't stop looking at her though he was too embarrassed to admit that out loud. So he had taken a bunch of photos of her so he could stare at them later. That felt like a million years ago. They fought and argued so much nowadays that the only thing Fred felt when he looked at them was a confusing mix of frustration and sadness. One by one he started deleting them.

It didn't matter anyways, she'd come crawling back like she always did. Or he would. Whatever.

Fred paused when he came up on the last picture. It was of him and Jodie right before their last fight. It was one of those rare times when she took him back to her time and they had a date at the impossibly high rooftop of her apartment. He taken taken a selfie of them with her head on his shoulder and they were both smiling like they were perfectly happy. His finger hovered over the delete button. Maybe they would get back together maybe they wouldn't. Did he even care anymore?

With a groan of frustration he exited the picture mode and dialed Joe's cell.

"Hello?"

"I'm sooooo boooooored." Fred whined. "One of you guys have to keep me company!"

"Can't Fred," Joe grumbled. "I'm still working on my final project for earth science."

"Well is Sam over there? Send him over."

"Book club meeting."

Fred opened his mouth to complain but was hit with another fit of coughing. Joe made a noise of disgust, but he also heard someone else's voice in the background. Despite the coughing fit he could feel his day brightening considerably.

"Fred! Is that you?" Fina asked concern seeping through her voice.

"Yeah," Fred sighed dramatically and decided to milk this for all its worth. "It's just a cold. And a broken leg. I'm just glad to hear your voice. The silence of the house was starting to get to me since I'm here all alone."

"You're by yourself?" Fina said. "That's awful."

"You know," Fred let his voice get a little hoarse. "I wouldn't be totally against you coming over and bringing some hot chicken noodle soup."

"I'll be right over." Fina said and hung up.

True to her word, a few minutes later the door bell rang. Fred reached for his crutches and hobbled to open the door for her. She was wearing one of the outfits that Joe bought her and was carrying two grocery bags.

"Hey Finny," He grinned.

Fina gave him a small, sad smile. "Hey Fred. I'm so sorry you aren't feeling well."

"It's cool." He shrugged. "Come on in."

Fina walked inside, her long blond, braid bouncing. He followed her into the kitchen and sat down on one of the chairs. Walking with crutches was a lot more difficult than they made it look on t.v.

"I hope you don't mind me using your pots and pans." Fina called over her shoulder. "I promise I'll clean up afterwards."

Fred shrugged. "Cool with me."

She flashed him a smile and continued cutting up vegetables and boiling water for the noodles. Fred tried to suppress another round of coughing and reached for a tissue. She was humming quietly to herself, a tune that Fred didn't recognize but it was starting to lull him to sleep.

"So how are you and Jodie doing?" She asked him suddenly.

"Huh?" Fred blinked in confusion.

"You're girlfriend Jodie." Fina set down a glass of orange juice in front of him. "How are you two doing? You haven't talked about her much lately."

"Um...right." Fred rubbed the back of his neck. "Not that great. I think we might break up soon."

"Oh," Fina said quietly. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's not a big deal." He shrugged. "We weren't really the perfect couple in the first place. We fought a lot, she gets jealous really easily, and sometimes I just didn't understand her."

"Oh." Fina said again.

Fred took a sip of his orange juice. He didn't know why he was telling Fina all of this. He guessed that it was just good to get this stuff off his chest. He tried not to think about it too much though or it would just depress him.

"To be honest, it kinda sucks I guess." Fred mumbled quietly. "She was my first girlfriend. Maybe if I didn't always mess everything up we wouldn't fight as much. Man, I'm an idiot."

Fred jumped when he felt her arms circle around around his shoulders and relaxed again. Her head was pressed against his cheek and he had to admit he enjoyed having her so close to him. He reached up and gently laid a hand on her head.

"You aren't an idiot." Fina said adamantly. "And you don't always mess things up."

Fina unwound her arms from around him and he instantly felt a little colder.

"Besides," she continued going over to the stove. "A relationship depends on two people. If you two are always fighting maybe part of it's her fault as well."

"Maybe," Fred mumbled. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You know..." Fred started coughing and had to pause for a moment. "Are you with anyone right now?"

Fina shook her head and ladled some of the soup into a bowl. "Not at the moment no."

"Really?" Fred eagerly eyed the soup she was carrying. "What about-"

"Joe?" Fina shrugged and sat down the soup in front of him. "I think he sees me more as a pet or little sister."

"Well how do you feel about him?" Fred stirred the soup. "I'm just curious."

"I dunno," She sat across from him. "He's a nice guy I guess. I never really served a warp wizard that close to my age before."

"He's almost two years older than you now." Fred observed slurping down a little of the soup. Man it was delicious and he could feel the warmth spread throughout his body.

"You actually are two years older than me." Fina smiled brightly. "Sorta."

Fred took another slurp of soup. It was true. Fina had baked him amazing cake for his sixteenth birthday as well as a homemade pizza. She had officially been with them for almost two years now, but Fred felt like he had known her for much longer. It was weird to think about him getting older and her staying the same.

"Do you want to get married, Fred?" She asked suddenly.

Soup sprayed out of his mouth and he started coughing. Fina laughed and handed him a napkin.

"Not to me." She laughed. "I meant when you grow up."

"Oh." Fred laughed in relief. "Um... I dunno. I guess. I've actually met my great granddaughter so I probably will. What about you?"

Fina's smile faded and she looked away. "You know I can't. I'm in a bond to serve the Warp Wizard remember?"

"Really?" Fred looked at her. "That sucks. But if you weren't immortal... would you?"

"Probably." Fina laced her fingers together. "I've always wanted a family of my own with lots of children."

"Then you should do it then."

Fina's eyes flickered towards his and the corners of her mouth turned up. "Fred, I'm only fourteen remember?"

"Yeah right," Fred rolled his eyes and guzzled more soup. "More like three thousand and fourteen. You are literally the oldest fourteen in old in the world."

"Oh yeah?" Fina laughed. "And how will I look Fred with a bunch of children when I still look like a child? How will I raise them?"

"I'm still aging. I'll help you raise them."

"Right. And who'll be the father of my children? Who in the world will marry me?"

"I will."

They both stopped and stared at each other. Fred sat wide eyed and was at a lost for words. He hadn't really meant to say any of that. He was just playing along and the conversation had gotten away from him. He stuttered trying to decide whether to apologize or just laugh it off, when Fina suddenly burst out laughing.

"Oh Fred you're so funny." She laughed.

"Yeah. Funny" He downed the last of the soup and handed her the bowl.

Fina took it over to the sink and starting cleaning everything up. Fred watched her silently. Maybe it was the cold medicine his mom gave him before she left or the warm, amazing soup Fina just fed him, but he was starting to feel drowsy. Fina looked super cute singing to herself while she cleaned up everything.

"Whoever ends up marrying you is going to be the luckiest man in the world." He mumbled laying his head on the table.

"Oh?" Fina kept cleaning. "Why is that?"

"Because you're cute, you're sweet, and you cook one hell of a soup." He mumbled. "I think I'm in love with you."

Like a sister? A friend? A best friend maybe? He didn't really know or care. All he wanted to do now was sleep for the next ten years. Fina finished cleaning and kneeled next to him, threading her arm through his and leaned against his arm.

"I love you too." She said quietly.

Fred turned his head towards her and looked at her. Their faces were so close that their noses where almost touching. Usually he would be super uncomfortable in this kind of situation, even with Jodie, but the drowsiness was starting to take over big time. He wanted to swim in her blue eyes.

"Really?" He smiled.

"Mm hm." She smiled back. "You're like my big brother."

Fred's smile faltered for a moment but then he started to laugh. "Cool. I never had a little sister before."

Fina laughed and stood up. "Come on big bro. Let's get you to bed. You look like you're about to pass out."

"Uhh! Bed. Good." Fred tried to stand but had to lean on her for support.

Fina grunted and he was afraid that he'd be too heavy for her, but if he used one of his crutches it made things easier. Together they made it his bedroom and Fina gently laid him on the bottom bunk of his bed.

"There," Fina said when she finally got him settled. "Did you need anything else before I leave?"

"Don't leave," Fred whined. "I love you remember?"

"I love you too, big bro." Fina laughed. "Now go to sleep."

Fred laid back and felt something poke his side. He pulled it out and even though it took a minute for his eyes to focus he realized it was his phone. He grinned.

"Selfie before you go?" He asked.

Fina tilted her head to the side. "Selfie?"

"A picture." he smiled. "Of me and my lil' sis."

"Okay, can you sit up?"

"Nope. You come here."

"What?"

Before she could protest or move away, Fred looped an arm around her shoulders and pulled Fina down on the bed with him. Fina laughed even as she tried to pull away, but even drugged up Fred was able to hold her still long enough to snap a picture of them.

"There," Fina laughed finally pulling away. "You got your picture now go to sleep."

"Okay, okay." Fred yawned. "Come back soon?"

"As soon as I can." Fina nodded.

She then leaned down a lightly brushed her lips against his forehead.

"Love you lil' sis." He called out as she left.

"Love you too, big bro."

* * *

Fred woke up hours later feeling a lot better in the nose and throat department, but his leg under the cast was starting to itch like crazy. He tried to ignore it though and fished for his phone instead. A text from Sam asking Fred if he wanted him to bring by his homework. Delete. A text from Joe asking him how he felt. Ignore. Nice of him to ask though. A couple from his teammates, a lot more from some cheerleaders. Fred kept scrolling to see if he got any texts from Fina but was disappointed to see nothing from her. He should really ask for her number soon. Oh right... no cellphone.

Instead he went back to the camera pictures to see how that selfie came out. He hoped he hadn't been too drugged up to take a decent photo of them.

"Whoa," Fred breathed.

The camera had caught Fina mid laugh with her face really close to Fred's who was also caught mid laugh. Fred found himself grinning. Fina was really a beautiful girl. It was gonna suck when she finally found a boyfriend and couldn't hang out with him as often. Fred flipped to the next one to see if he had taken anymore when he in froze in shock. It was the last picture he had of him and Jodie. His finger automatically went to the delete button... and hovered there uncertainly.


End file.
